Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific’s new President and CEO has plenty to think about as the company’s third quarter sales performance shows some of its divisions struggling. Newly acquired technologies give cause for optimism however.

Boston Scientific is to acquire Rhythmia Medical, Inc. as it seeks to build its position in cardiac rhythm management. Rhythmia is a developer of mapping and navigation systems for cardiac ablation techniques and expects to have products in market next year.

Boston Scientific Corporation has announced the U.S. and European launch of its Victory™ guidewire, designed to facilitate crossing of resistant lesions and the placement and exchange of balloon catheters or other interventional devices within the peripheral vasculature.

Boston Scientific has enrolled the first patient in the REPRISE II clinical trial to evaluate the safety and performance of the Lotus™ Valve System and the results are expected to be used to support CE mark and other international regulatory approvals.

It’s looking like Boston Scientific Week with more news about launches or approvals. The FDA has approved Boston’s S-ICD® System, which we seem to remember triggers a big fat earn-out payment to Cameron Health following its acquisition earlier this year.

Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance for the Emerge™ Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) Balloon Dilatation Catheter and has begun marketing the device in the United States. The Emerge Catheter is a next-generation pre-dilatation balloon catheter designed specifically to offer exceptional deliverability for physicians to address challenging lesions in coronary arteries. Both the Monorail® and Over-The-Wire (OTW) options are available. The Emerge Catheter has been commercially available in CE Mark countries since earlier this year.
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Boston Scientific Corporation has received CE Mark approval for use of its Vercise™ Deep Brain Stimulation System for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. The company says this is the first and only commercially available DBS system to incorporate multiple independent current control, which is designed to selectively stimulate targeted areas in the brain.

Reliance® 4-Front™ Lead is designed to streamline surgical procedure for implantation of ICDs by improving handling and simplifying implantation.

Boston Scientific Corporation is to acquire BridgePoint Medical, Inc., developer of a proprietary, catheter-based system to treat coronary chronic total occlusions.

In a strikingly heartwarming example of humanity charities already exist to coordinate the distribution of usable, explanted pacemakers from deceased Americans to less fortunate people in the developing world. A new study suggests this is a safe and viable practice, although the manufacturers disagree, citing concerns over reprocessing practices.

Boston Scientific’s Precisiopn Plus Spinal Cord Stimulator is now CE marked for peripheral nerve stimulation and implantees can receive MRI head-only scans, opening up diagnostic options for clinicians in Europe.

Boston Scientific’s Watchman LAA closure device can now be used on patients not able to be given anticoagulant therapy. Also, newly revised European Society of Cardiology guidelines include LAA closure devices.

Boston Scientific Corporation has received CE Mark approval for use of its MRI compatible INGENIO™ and ADVANTIO™ pacemakers

Abbott has announced its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2012. Reported sales increased 2.0 percent, including an unfavourable 4.7 percent effect of foreign exchange. Stent sales suffered due to the wind-down of the supply arrangement with Boston Scientific, but recent Xience news gives reason for optimism.

Boston Scientific has appointed ex-J&J Ortho man Warren Wang as Vice President and Managing Director of its operations in China. Mr. Wang is responsible for leading the company’s team in China and executing the development strategy in the Chinese market.

Boston Scientific Corporation has announced a significant milestone for its telemonitoring technology with the initial use of the Latitude NXT Remote Patient Management System for pacemaker patients in Europe. The company says its next-generation wireless remote patient management system enables physicians to risk-stratify patients and more confidently make treatment decisions.